The Nigerian Navy (NN) on Saturday morning dispatched its Landing Ship Tank (LST) NNS KADA and equipment to Guinea Bissau to support security and stabilisation efforts in the troubled country.
The military contingent which set sail from the NNS BEECROFT jetty in Lagos, was dispatched as part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) peacekeeping mission.
The Nation reports that Nigeria has consistently played the big brother role in Africa with regards to security, stability and economic supports.
ECOWAS Stabilization Support Force comprising troops from Nigeria, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal were first deployed to Guinea Bissau after its President, Umaro Sisoco Embalo escaped a coup attempt in February.
This voyage is NNS KADA’s first since it arrived the country from the manufacturer’s shipyard in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on May 27.
Speaking at the dispatch of the contingent, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo said the voyage demonstrated the synergy between the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Gambo who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Yakubu Wambai, said the roles of the Navy in peacekeeping were “general and specific.”
He said they included sealifting of troops and logistics, sea surveillance, blockade, gun fire support, control of shipping and sea lane of communication, search and rescue mission, policing, conveying relief materials, amongst others.
He said: “One of the legally mandated responsibilities for the Nigerian Navy is the one that NNS KADA is currently performing in terms of transporting military equipment.
“We are assisting ECOWAS with the stabilisation backing that has been established in Guinea Bissau by moving this equipment.
“There is a Nigerian contingent that needs this equipment. Previously, we would have shipped things over foreign borders.
“However, the Nigerian Navy may now carry out this mission as intended, as it should, and as required by the law because we are of legal age.
“Therefore, all of these factors have been taken into account by the Chief of Defense Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Chief of Air Staff. Generally speaking, we will demonstrate our ability and competence while preserving peace in the sub-region,” he said.
Continuing, the CNS said the warship’s capability would be brought to bear in support of the ECOWAS mandate and in line with the foreign policy objective of Nigeria which focuses on Africa.
According to him, the history of peace keeping in Africa and beyond cannot be written without the commitment and sacrifices of Nigeria, which have earned the country recognition as unrelenting advocate of global peace.
He added that the decommissioned NNS AMBE and OFIOM had played similar roles during the ECOMOG operations in the 1980s and 1990s, urging the contingent to be of good conduct and represent the country well through out their stay abroad.